Aging
by iamanundeadmonkey
Summary: Set ten years after All the Time in the World. JE of course. Jack, Elizabeth, and Barbossa are getting older. Aging isn't always a good thing when it comes to keeping the Navy off your tail...
1. Jack admits his age

A/N: Hey all! This is the third in the Seven Days is a Week (dunno what I was thinking when I named that one) and All the Time in the World arc. If you haven't read those and you want to read this one…you probably won't get half of it, so if you want to read it that badly go read the others. To those who have read the others: welcome back! This is probably the last one and I'll be moving on to a different story that I'm writing. This'll most likely be a shorter one. Moving on…this is a somewhat silly chapter after the beginning part. You'll see ;) enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: back to these again. Can't think of a witty response at the moment. Check back later.

Aging Chapter 1 

Dark water swirled around the hull of the ship. The foam stuck on the wood and lingered as the tiny bubbles popped one by one, white against the darkness of the hull. It was washed away by a few trickles of water from the ship's scuppers.

On the deck, the ship's crew was in action, far from the lazy pace of the sea; the men were frantic. The thunderous booming of cannons shattered the quiet of the day.

Cannonballs from the Navy ship tore into the other and flung its yelling, terrorized crew in all directions. A shiver struck a man in the heart. Another of the crew had his head crushed by a falling mast.

Explosions rocked the ship from stem to stern. The bursts of color were reflected in the fearful eyes of the crew.

Proudly standing by the wheel was the captain, his scarred face outwardly calm and his eyes betraying only the smallest bit of fear. The heat of the explosions ruffled the feather of his wide black hat. His expression was calm, serene. His face never changed; not even when a final blast tore his ship apart.

The Navy ship sailed away, untouched, unconcerned.

A black flag depicting the Jolly Roger rippled on the waves. A body fell upon it and did not move. A feathered hat floated away from the wreckage of the pirate ship, bobbling on the current.

… … …

Elizabeth sat and watched Jack's face from the only angle presented to her at the moment: upside down. Ten years had gone by, and as far as she could tell, time had barely touched him. There were, perhaps, a few extra laugh lines around his eyes, a few small gray highlights creeping in at his temples, but it seemed like nothing. Barbossa was nearly completely white and did not seem to care in the least.

It was then that she realized that she had no idea as to Jack's age. Or, for that matter…

"Jack?" she said.

"Hmm?"

"How old are you?"

Jack winced. "Ask me how young I am, luv, not how old."

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth said, "Fine, then. How _young _are you?"

Grimacing, Jack shifted his position. "I'll be forty-seven…soon."

"When's your birthday?" Elizabeth pressed curiously.

"Tomorrow," Jack admitted reluctantly.

She gave him a calculating look. "How long has it been since you had a birthday party?" she asked.

"Ah…" Jack counted on his fingers. "Twenty-nine years, why?"

"Just wondering."

"I see." He rose and stretched. "I'm off to bed then, luv. Coming?"

"I'm not tired. I'll stay out here for a while," Elizabeth said, quickly stifling a yawn. "I'll be in in a while."

"Right." Jack ruffled her hair. "'Night, luv."

"'Night."

As soon as the door to the cabin closed behind him, Elizabeth jumped up and went into the crew's cabin. She woke up Gibbs.

Gibbs's eyes popped open and he fell out of his hammock. A ratty old bear fell on top of him. "Where'sa fire, 'Lizabeth?" he mumbled.

"There's no fire, Gibbs," Elizabeth explained calmly.

"Oh….Then why'm I awake?"

"I'm planning a birthday party for Jack," she said.

"Ye found out when the cap'n's birthday was? Good for ye," Gibbs said. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow. Here's what I'm thinking…"

… … …

The following day, Elizabeth rose with Jack, which was somewhat difficult owing to the fact that Jack rose with the sun. Will and Gibbs were already on deck, along with Bootstrap.

"Mornin', Cap'n!" Gibbs said brightly. "I was hopin' ye'd be up soon. There's a leak in the hold I'd like ye to see."

"A leak?" Jack said fuzzily, still blinking sleep from his eyes. "Oh. Lead on then, Gibbs."

Elizabeth, Will, and Bootstrap leapt into action when the other two disappeared into the hold. Will signaled the _Gilded Sunset_, which was moored nearby. The crew came over as quietly as possible. Barbossa came behind them, shooing along the stragglers. Instead of blond hair streaked with gray, he had white hair streaked with blond. Or so Jack loved to tell him.

Bootstrap and Elizabeth dragged out a table laden with rum while Barbossa's crew rolled out a few barrels of the stuff, just as with the wedding reception.

Just then, there was an angry explosion form below.

"THEN WHO THE BLOODY HELL'S BEED TAKING EXTRA RATIONS?!" came Jack's bellow.

Elizabeth stifled a giggle when the _Black Pearl_'s crew all guiltily looked at the table and raised their hands.

"_**THREE BARRELS?!**_"

She winced. "Perhaps I should go down there before he seriously maims Gibbs," she pondered. She pushed through the silently laughing crowd of pirates and into the hold.

"Jack, what's going on?" Elizabeth asked innocently.

"Apparently someone's been taking extra rations of rum. Many extra rations," Jack added. "Half the rack plus three barrels're gone!"

"It was you," Elizabeth teased immediately. "Come on, there's no need to get so worked up. let's go upstairs."

"Let's," Jack growled. "I'll catch the bloody scalawag, mark my words…"

"Poor precious rum," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes and hanging back by Gibbs for a moment. "How did you get him so _upset_?" she asked through silent laughter.

"Trick o' the trade," Gibbs said with a small wink.

Elizabeth shook her head and caught up with Jack.

"Where's the crew gone?" he wondered aloud.

"You've probably woken them all with your shouting," she told him.

This sentiment infuriated him even more.

"Bloody good!" he shouted. "I'll bloody interrogate them all and keelhaul the first to look guilty!"

"Jack, calm down!" Elizabeth said, failing in her attempt to sound soothing by laughing.

"It's no laughing matter!" Jack exclaimed. "Rum's expensive, luv! I'm going to – wha…" he cut himself off when he opened the door.

"Happy birthday!" the pirates bellowed.

Barbossa looked around. "Oh, surpriiise," he said flatly into the silence.

Jack thanked him sarcastically. Elizabeth threw her arm around Jack's shoulders. "Don't you want to see your present?" she asked.

Jack winced. "Present?"

"All of ye back t' yer sewin', it's present time," Barbossa said in a bored voice. The crews burst into chatter.

Turning to Elizabeth, Jack asked, "So what is my…er…present?"

"Hmm…remember how you lost your hat in the last battle?" Elizabeth said, grinning like a little kid.

"Yes…" Jack muttered.

Elizabeth pulled an identical tri-corn hat from behind her back. "Happy birthday!"

"Ha!" Jack exclaimed happily, allowing Elizabeth to place the hat on his head. "It's just like the other one! Thank you, luv."

"Jack, it _is_ the other one," Elizabeth told him gleefully.

"That's why you asked me when my birthday was," Jack mused. "It's perfect, luv. Thank you."

He grabbed a bottle of rum and tossed it into the crowd. "Drinks all around!" he bellowed happily, taking two more for Elizabeth and himself.

This party was, if possible, even louder and wilder than the wedding reception. The crews were all dancing and singing different versions of "Happy Birthday" at completely different times. The musician was playing loudly along with the din, jumping around so much in his excitement that a few notes came out jumpy and discordant.

Later, when everyone was completely out of their minds with rum, they all gathered around and tried to wheedle Barbossa and Elizabeth into revealing their own birthdays. This endeavor was, of course, unsuccessful. However, by the end, Barbossa was shouting at Jack to call off his bloody crew, whereupon Jack announced that he was rather enjoying himself and would like to know their birthdays.

Barbossa and Elizabeth looked at each other in exasperation.

"Arright, I'm fifty-bloody-seven, but I'm not sayin' when!" Barbossa relented.

Elizabeth never did tell any of the pirates her own age, and, grumbling, the crew dispersed and picked up their dancing again.

The party ended late at night when too many had passed out for it to continue. All of the collapsed men were carried to their respective ships and thrown into hammocks. The captains, unconcerned with their men for the moment, stumbled into their cabins and hit the bed with sighs of relief.

Still unsteady, Elizabeth fell into the bed next to Jack. He put his arm over her and pulled her closer. "G'night, luv," he mumbled. "'N thanks…."

"Anytime," Elizabeth yawned. "I had fun."

Every person on the two ships was either asleep or passed out with exhaustion form the party. No watches were set as they would usually have been. Therefore, no one was awake and able to alert the _Black Pearl_ and the _Gilded Sunset_ until an hour after the ship had appeared on the horizon.

A/N: dun dun dunnn. I'm already having fun with the next chapter…it'll probably be up in the next 3 or 4 days. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this one…leave me reviews so that I'm inspired to write faster!


	2. The pirates pretend to be merchants

A/N: eh…I know I said a few days but this was definitely not a nice chapter to write so I kinda had to force myself through it…you'll see why.

DISCLAIMER: PotC isn't mine. I'd like Barbs though…XD

Chapter 2 

Jack awoke, as usual, before Elizabeth and climbed carefully out of bed so as not to wake her. Stretching and yawning, he pulled off his shirt so that he could go for a swim and not come back with it soaking wet. He opened the door, swore violently, and grabbed his shirt again.

Quickly, Jack sprinted outside and threw open the forecastle door. "ALL HANDS ON DECK!" he bellowed. "ALL HANDS ON DECK! NAVY SHIP ON OUR BOWS!"

Sure that the crew was making the preparations necessary for the upcoming battle, Jack went across to warn Barbossa.

"Barbossa, mate, we've got to pretend we're merchantmen," Jack said breathlessly.

"We can take 'em easy, Jack, it's two ont' one," Barbossa pointed out.

"We're not what we used to be, mate. I'm forty-seven and you've got ten years on me."

"The crews're a lot younger."

"And the whole lot of them have got splitting hangovers from yesterday. I know I have, at least," Jack grumbled. "C'mon, I'm James Smith, you're Harold Perry, and we're sailing together 'cause of the pirates, and we've got gold for Africa. W just made port to restock because we're coming from Port of England. I'm on the _White Witch _and you're on the _Storm Chaser_. It'll be easy."

"Arright, fine, but I'm keepin' my cannon loaded just in case," Barbossa gave in.

Jack went back to the _Pearl_ and ran straight into Elizabeth. "Jack, what's going on?" she asked immediately.

"We're merchants," Jack said, and proceeded to relay the names and information he had given to Barbossa. "You're Emily Smith, my wife, and you refused to stay home without me because you were afraid I would get killed by pirates. Our son, Elijah, is twenty-five and works on the ship as an Ordinary Seaman."

While he was shouting all this at the crew, Elizabeth went to change into a dress. As she cinched the strings, she heard the Navy ship hailing Jack and Barbossa above. She quickly scrubbed the dirt from her face and hands before walking up on deck.

Jack was inviting the captain and a few of his men over for a glass or two of wine. As a sort of disguise, he had tucked his dreadlocks into his hat and let only his braid and the tails of his bandanna fall down.

The captain of the Navy ship, named Connelly, accepted Jack's invitation and brought over fifteen of his men. Connelly's first mate did the same over to the _Sunset_.

"One can never be too cautious," Connelly explained, seeming almost apologetic beneath his stiff demeanor.

"You are correct," Jack agreed, inclining his head. "It's expected, Captain, and I do not object in the least."

On the whole, his act was quite good. Apparently Connelly felt differently. His hand was moving to his belt so slowly that Elizabeth, watching for something like this, was the only one who caught it. Moving just as slowly, she felt for the pistol hidden in her bodice. The only thing worrying her otherwise was that she could not catch Jack's eye to warn him of the impending danger. Perhaps he had noticed?

"Thank you for your understanding, Captain Sparrow," Connelly said. He pointed his pistol at Jack and fired before Jack had time to react. The fifteen soldiers fired into the crew.

"NO!" Elizabeth screamed in anger. She whipped out her hidden pistol and aimed carefully at the back of Connelly's head. He fell to the deck, clutching his arm as a result of Elizabeth's shaking hand. More soldiers were streaming onto both pirate ships, and Elizabeth was elbowing her way through.

Jack was lying on the deck, trying to stem the flow of blood from his shoulder with the heel of his palm and watching the soldiers pouring onto both ships. He rose to his feet and pulled out his cutlass to run a few of them through. Someone pulled him back, out of the fight.

"Father, are you all right?" David asked in a low, urgent voice.

"I'm fine," Jack said, waving him off. David was tearing off part of his shirt and tying it around his father's shoulder already. Jack smiled, then frowned. "David, look – _no_!" He reached over and blocked the sword. "Please pay attention," he scolded. David grinned at him.

"JACK!" Elizabeth screamed in warning.

Jack looked around. Another gunshot went off. He, Elizabeth, and David stiffened, the shot echoing in their ears. All was silent to them save for a single gasp.

Elizabeth screamed again. Jack turned as if in a dream and caught David as he fell. His son's blood felt slippery and unnatural on his hands. Of course, Jack had felt blood before, but never the blood of this particular young man. It felt as though his son's life was sliding away through his fingers.

David's hand clutched the back of his father's waistcoat out of fear. Then it stiffened and flopped down limply. There was nothing but deadweight in Jack's arms now.

David slid down to the planks. Jack drew his palms across his face as though trying to iron it flat.

Tears streaming down her face, Elizabeth took his hand and led him away from the scene. About five feet away, Jack grunted his refusal, jogged back over, and lopped off the head of the man who had fire the shot. He then went on through the crowd, untouchable in his fury. Elizabeth took a sword from one of the soldiers, knocked him down with the hilt, and followed to watch Jack's back.

The fight was over within minutes on the _Pearl_. Those soldiers that remained alive ran back to their ship and then across to the _Sunset_. The _Pearl_'s crew followed after, shaking fists and swords and yelling, and the number of pirate fighters on the _Sunset_ suddenly doubled. As soon as the soldiers saw that they were far outnumbered by savage pirates, they made their escape.

Cotton's parrot led a thunderous cheer.

Elizabeth found Jack sitting on the rail looking a mess. His hands and face were covered in David's blood. The bandage around his shoulder was dark and dripping, but he didn't seem to notice. She guided him away, back to the _Pearl_, not allowing him to see the bodies. Still, she couldn't help glimpsing some of the faces herself: Gibbs and Bootstrap, and then David…

"Who else is dead?" Jack asked listlessly.

"Gibbs," Elizabeth whispered sadly.

"And who else?" Jack prompted.

"Bootstrap," she murmured. "And a few others…."

The crew was letting out groans of disappointment at the sight of the bodies on the deck. Groups were forming around them. Jack, Will, and Elizabeth were allowed to the middle of the men around Bootstrap. Will gave a low moan at the sight of the blood. Jack only shook his head in numb rejection and retreated from the deck.

A/N: -wails- why am I so fricking EVIL??? I almost cried when I wrote about David dying…-starts crying- s-s-so I s-started on the n-next chapter already and am ab-bout to stop h-hamming it up…I've got a quarter of a page in the notebook so far. I don't know when it'll be up yet but it'll be up eventually I guarantee it won't be forever heh :-)


	3. Elizabeth confesses undying love

A/N: sorry muchly for the delay…school is pretty much eating my life at the moment…:P

DISCLAIMER: I'm not doing this every single page anymore, it makes me depressed.

Chapter 3 

The following morning, a short funeral was held on a nearby island for the dead men, totaling seven with the _Sunset_'s dead as well. Jack and Barbossa said a few words over them before both crews helped to bury each one.

All of the men were allowed off their duties, but most did them anyway to keep busy. Marty, Pintel, Ragetti, and Cotton were scrubbing down the decks, holystoning them, and then going back with mops and rags again. Jack had been tying and untying twenty different knots for two hours. Elizabeth was still winding the same rope around the same peg as she had been doing for quite some time.

The only time she had ever known Jack to be silent for a long period of time was today, and she found it odd enough to keep her own appropriate silence. She did not even make an attempt at conversation, and neither did he.

Things were not much more cheerful on the _Gilded Sunset_. The crew carved dice from lumps of wood or hardened cheese. Barbossa stared out at the island, so quiet and unmoving that he might have been part of the ship. In fact, the only movement he had made in the last two hours was to smack Jack the monkey when it bit his ear.

Normally he wouldn't have minded the deaths, but one of the men had been an old friend of his. Barbossa spat on the deck and ordered the crew to throw the remainder of the dead soldiers overboard or to burn them, whichever happened to take their fancy at the time. Those in the brig were to be marooned.

… … …

When the final dregs of the sunbeams were draining down behind the mountains, Elizabeth broke her routine. She walked down to the galley, where the usually jolly cook wore a frown. He brightened up when he saw Elizabeth. "Why 'ello, Missus Cap'n!" he said.

Elizabeth gave the cook a wan smile. "Hi, Cookie."

"For you 'n the cap'n, I'm presumin'?" Cookie said, holding out two bowls. Elizabeth took them.

"Thanks, Cookie. Stay happy now, otherwise there won't be an ounce left on the ship."

"Aye, aye, Missus Cap'n," the cook saluted with a slightly foolish grin.

Elizabeth giggled and took the bowls up. "You're eating," she told Jack when he opened his mouth to protest.

"I'm not hungr-"

"I don't want to hear it. Eat and listen."

Obediently, Jack picked up his spoon. "What'm I listening to?"

"A proposition." Elizabeth took a spoonful of soup. "Mmm."

"What sort of proposition?" Jack asked.

"First to get that onion out of your beard…"

"I'm saving that for later. You leave me onion alone."

"I'll eat it myself if you don't."

"Fine then."

He plucked the slice of onion and put it into Elizabeth's mouth. "Your proposition?"

"Go after them," she said.

"Who?"

"That ship. The Navy ship."

Jack inhaled his soup and started to choke. Elizabeth thumped him on the back. When he sat back, eyes streaming, she had to fight a laugh.

"What now?" he spluttered.

"We" – she gestured between the two ships – "go after" – she mimed sailing – "them" – point – "and kill them." She shot the air with two fingers. "Comprende?"

"Que? No comprende el espanol, senora," Jack said. "Apologies."

"Yes, you do," Elizabeth said.

"Why go after them, though?"

"Because they'll go back and come back for us with more ships," Will said, sitting down. "And when they do, we're dead."

"More than dead," Ragetti put in from the side.

"Ye can't be _more than dead_," Pintel said scathingly. "If you're dead, you're _dead._ There's not a _more than dead_."

"Oh, shut up. You cluck about like a married couple," Jack said. The pair stowed their comments. "You've got a point," Jack continued. "It's just a matter of convincing Barbossa."

Everyone looked at Elizabeth.

"Why _me_?" she asked.

"Because you're good at convincing people to do things they don't want to do," Jack said.

"So are you!" she countered.

"You're better," he shot back.

"Am not!"

"True. But you're less lazy."

"Fine," Elizabeth sighed resignedly. "I'll go now."

Jack grinned. "Told you I was good."

… … …

"Captain Barbossa?" Elizabeth asked tentatively.

"Ye want to go after the Navy ship," Barbossa said without turning around.

"How did you know?" she said in surprise.

"Well, why else would ye come over, t' confess yer undyin' love and desire t' run away on the _Sunset_?" he said sarcastically.

"_Not_ quite," Elizabeth laughed. "So will you go?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Jack might give you one, but I won't."

"Why won't ye?"

"I like you too much," she smiled.

"So ye _are_ confessin' undyin' love?"

"_No._"

"Good." Barbossa shuddered, then let the monkey scamper up his arm. "Tell Jack I'm only goin' because his wife loves me."

Elizabeth punched him in the arm. "If you say that once more, I'll tell him that _you_ like _me_," she threatened.

"Oh, the horror," Barbossa said tonelessly.

"So you'll go?" Elizabeth said hopefully.

"I just told ye I would."

She gave a weak sort of giggle. "Oh."

… … …

That night, Elizabeth lay awake long after Jack had finally gone to sleep. She lay curled on her side watching his profile in the cold silvery moonlight. His chest rose and fell rhythmically in time with slow, deep breaths. As she watched, he twitched and smiled. Then he shifted about and turned over to end up with his nose buried in Elizabeth's hair.

"Mmn. Flowers," he mumbled in his sleep.

Elizabeth had to struggle not to laugh and wake him up – this was much too amusing to stop. Jack started to mutter about rum, pie, flowers, and hair, and how they should make a flower that smelled like rum and another that smelled like Elizabeth's hair. Or at least when it was clean.

This time she couldn't stop herself; she let out a tiny giggle and quickly stifled it. Jack shifted again, and she froze, but he did not wake up. On the contrary, he burrowed his nose deeper into her hair and sighed contentedly.

Elizabeth smiled at his expression of sleepy ignorance and closed her eyes, only just realizing how tired she was herself. Within minutes, she was asleep.

… … …

He saw images in a catastrophe of bangs and screams. A black-robed judge with a stern face; a dreary cell in a jail full of despairing pirates; a barred door. He gazed through the bars with and intense longing to be on the other side, but it would not happen. It could not happen. Not this time.

_A pirate dragged away by his wrists, screaming in terror; dirty cobblestones; wooden steps. Many faces looking up, some in anticipation, others with disappointment and regret. A long pole standing vertically, attached to a second horizontal pole. A rope hanging down from the horizontal pole. Rope looped around neck. The floor dropping from under boots. And then…nothing._

… … …

The crew's incredible enthusiasm at going after the Navy ship was unmatched save by Jack's own excitement. His hand itched to his cutlass to avenge David's death.

The only person thinking rationally about anything was Barbossa, and he knew that they needed recruits if they were to take the Navy ship. Elizabeth agreed with him on that count, but Jack did not. He maintained that if the _Pearl_ and the _Sunset_ could take the ship before, then they could take it now, especially allowing that their quarry had at least two days' head start. If they were to ever catch it, they could not afford to make stops. They had to go and keep going while the going was good.

The crews cheered this logic, but Elizabeth and Barbossa exchanged a knowing glance. Without new recruits, it was very possible that this fight could be their last.

A/N: dun dun DUNN…-cough- anyway…sorry again for the delay…stupid project…-glare- I've already got chapter 4 written down and I'll have it typed as soon as I put this up, so all I have to do when I go on next is to click a few things. HUZZAH!! Leave me some love :D


	4. Jack curses back

A/N: I'm baaa-aaack…from being out of town not from delaying again -.- So…an update!! Huzzah!! Disclaimers are done from here because a) I only have 2 maybe 3 at a stretch left for chapters and b) it gets tedious. So they're not mine. Get it straight.

Chapter 4 

Jack was deep within hard thought. It was obvious that the dream had been about a hanging, that much was certain. He had had the same dream before just before the Navy had first tried to hang him and he had escaped.

But why should he be having recollections of his first time just escaping the noose _now_? That had been nearly twenty years ago. It made no sense. Something must have triggered the memory, but he did not know what it was. And he did not particularly care; he was going to avenge his son's death within the day!

The Navy ship, unsuspecting, was on the horizon. The _Sunset_ and the _Pearl_ would catch up without a problem. Using the element of surprise, they would take the ship within half an hour. There was absolutely nothing that could go wrong; everything was planned out perfectly.

Jack shot to his feet. He knew not that the dream was not a recollection of the Navy's first attempt on his life: it was a prediction of their last. Jack swallowed and sat back down on the crate. It would not happen; he was overreacting to Barbossa and Elizabeth trying to convince him to stop for men. Still, he could not help his hands shaking slightly. He clenched them and set his sights on the ship that was coming closer by the minute.

Slowly, a smile spread across his previously worried features. There was no way he would let them be captured. No way.

… … …

Nervously, Elizabeth chewed her lip, her eyes darting between Jack and the Navy ship. It looked much to close for her liking. She quickly ran through the places that her various weapons were hiding.

A cutlass at each hip. Two hand grenades, one in each pocket. One pistol in her belt. Six more slung over her shoulders. A throwing knife down each boot and another hidden in the sheath of her extra cutlass. And, last but not least, a dagger down her shirt, which she felt was perfectly safe.

She smiled to herself through the anxiousness. Everything should be fine. Or so she hoped.

An hour later, with the ship a mere thirty or forty fathoms away, she was positively shaking. Jack was there with an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong, Lizzie?" he murmured. "You've never been like this before a fight."

"This isn't going to work," she managed. "They're going to win…they'll catch us and hang us…oh, God, we don't have enough men…"

To Elizabeth's surprise, Jack's eyes widened and he leaned in conspiratorially. "Did you have the dream too?"

"Dream? What dream?" she said.

"The one about the hanging…." He told her.

Elizabeth stopped shaking and glared. "_And you didn't say anything_?" she squeaked.

"I didn't think it was relevant, I'd had the dream before!"

"Oh, that's just bloody _wonderful!_ What else did you dream about, us being cut to pieces?!"

"Erm, now's not the best -"

"I – DON'T – CARE!"

"Luv, the ship -"

"_Damn_ the ship, Jack -"

"Well, the _damn _ship is about to fire on us in case you hadn't noticed!"

"Damn."

"Exactly. Oi! FIRE!"

The crew hastily fired the cannons and reloaded, while some were blasted out of the gun ports by enemy cannonade. Jack and Elizabeth were separated when they dodged a cannonball and their gap was filled in by crewmembers.

Jack quickly called for the _Pearl_ to board. Quite a few of the first to try were shot down by swivel guns. Elizabeth held her breath, but Jack, by some miracle, made it through. She swung over right after, squeezing her eyes shut until she hit the deck. Immediately upon doing so, she wrenched out a cutlass and engaged Connelly.

"Who are you to be fighting me, woman?" the captain asked scathingly.

"You shot my husband," she snarled.

"Jack Sparrow is your -?"

"Yes." Elizabeth lopped his head off.

She could hear Barbossa's maniacal laugh as he charged through the crowd. It cut off into a roar of anger and pain, and then continued. She assumed that he had killed whoever had hurt him.

When she saw Ragetti being wrestled down by a larger soldier, she let fly one of her throwing knives, then went to retrieve it. As Elizabeth bent down, she felt a slash of pain across her back. With a growl, she spun around and locked swords with the man who had done it. "Only a coward attacks when his opponent's back is turned," she mocked him.

The man gave her a confused look.

"And only an idiot still loses afterwards," she muttered, dispatching him. She picked up the knife and shoved it into her boot still bloody.

Everything went black.

… … …

Barbossa felt as though he was bleeding from absolutely everywhere. Hot trickles slipped down his back and arms, his earring was half torn out, and his nose was bleeding freely, probably broken. Still he fought on, his proficiency undiminished, even when, for the second time in his life, a dagger hilt protruded from his stomach.

_You're getting old, Hector, _he thought wearily, and he killed the man who had inflicted the wound. He was then shoved to the ground and knocked out.

… … …

Jack knew that, after an hour, the fight was taking a turn for the worse for the pirates. He was sweating like a madman, and it was dripping down his face, making his chest and back slick. Weary, he locked swords with yet another man and was knocked down. Preparing himself for the deathblow, Jack looked away. Instead, he heard the voice of the man who had knocked him over.

"Get up, now. Honestly. Ninny."

Jack picked up his cutlass, heaved himself to his feet, and looked at his opponent. His expression hardened. "Hello, Father. Call me a ninny, will you?"

Quick as a flash, Jack darted forward. A series of slashed and parries followed, a mere blur to any that might have been watching. The swords locked again. The two men stared hard at each other, teeth gritted in concentration. A vein throbbed in Jack's forehead. His father overcame him in a surge of strength, knocking his son to the ground.

Jack cutlass flew off to some unknown location.

"Disappointingly easy to beat for one of legend," Grant Sparrow tsked.

"No," Jack muttered, breathing raggedly.

"Beg pardon?" Grant said.

"I…said…NO!" Jack roared, and he launched himself at his father, fists flailing. They toppled to the deck, each fighting to stay on top. Jack managed to roll Grant far enough away so as they could both regain their footing. This time Grant let fly the first blow; he feinted an uppercut and delivered a fist to Jack's stomach. Jack doubled over, wheezing.

"Look around you, Jack," his father told him. "Most of your crew are dead. Those that are left are surrendering. They are all waiting for us to finish. You are the only one left who fights back."

Jack looked around and found that this observation was correct. He felt suddenly dizzy and alone. "I…don't…care," he grunted in a tired voice. "I…don't…care."

By skimming the crowd, he could not find Elizabeth or Barbossa. His breath still came in short, hard bursts. He swayed.

"Are you done, Jack?" Grant said, and for an instant it looked as though he almost pitied his son.

"No," Jack muttered sullenly. "No…" His eyes rolled back in his head and his knees buckled. He was carried off to the brig along with Elizabeth, Will, and Barbossa.

A/N: oh noes! What shall we do now? –evil grin- I love cliffies. They're so fun. Mwahahahaha. I haven't written very much of the next chapter yet, but I will. Promise :)


	5. Barbossa reveals Jack's weakness

A/N: I'm so sorry people……I've been depressing myself . . don't ask why. Just don't. :D So I'll get straight to it, here's the chapter, I've got the last one written too, so happy birthday you all.

Chapter 5 

Jack's return to consciousness was accompanied by two loud coughs. He opened his eyes and looked around fuzzily. His surroundings seemed to consist of three walls of bars and one of stone, which included a barred square leading to the outside. _A window,_ he thought. _That's what it is. A window. A window in a jail cell._

When another cough split the silence, Jack knew that it was not his, but he still felt a pang for whoever had made the noise.

A worried murmur came from somewhere in the cell along with the sound of someone crossing to the other side. Still barely able to see, Jack closed his eyes hard and opened them, and then blinked rapidly. The coughing came again, loud and raspy. Elizabeth's voice could be discerned now.

"Oh my God…Jack, Barbossa, please wake up, I think he's dying, wake _up_ you bloody lazy pigs -"

"'M awake n' I can hear everything you're sayin'," Jack mumbled. "What's 'appenin'?"

"_Help_!" she said loudly.

"Mph…" he rolled over, still blinking and swinging his head, and crawled to where Elizabeth was crouching near Will. Will was coughing up blood.

"Ah!" Jack croaked in surprise.

"What do we do?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack put the back of his hand on Will's forehead. "Keep-" his voice came out dry and hoarse. He cleared his throat, but it did not help. "Keep him as cool as possible," Jack said, and then, spotting Barbossa slumped against the wall, "I'll see to him."

Elizabeth smoothed the hair from Will's forehead while Jack went to Barbossa. In a few seconds, Jack had laid the old pirate on the floor and started to examine the wound to his stomach. "What _is_ it with this bugger and getting knives stuck in him?" Jack muttered, wrapping cloth around the cut.

"Jack," Elizabeth said urgently. "Come here."

Jack went back and sat. Will had gone quiet and was breathing hard. "Jack," he whispered. "Am I dying?"

Jack hesitated.

"Tell me the truth," Will persisted.

"I don't know," Jack said honestly. "I'm sorry."

Will shifted and coughed again. "I'm tired," he said quietly.

"Elizabeth, help me get his coat off," Jack murmured.

"No, don't," Will countered him. "I'm cold…"

"You'll warm up once we get it off, it's completely waterlogged," Jack lied, working the sleeves off.

"Oh…." Will laid his head back. "'M going to sleep."

"All right, then," Jack said brightly, but the other was already asleep.

Elizabeth looked at Jack and silently shook her head. Jack closed his eyes and nodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "He doesn't look so great, luv," he said quietly.

Elizabeth clenched her hand on her knee. Her knuckles turned white.

"Yeah, me own outlook on life's not so wonderful at the moment either," Jack said in agreement. There was a pause.

"Jack?" Elizabeth said.

"Mm?"

"What's it like to die?"

Jack sat up straighter. "Why d'you want to know _that_?"

"Well, seeing as we're all probably going to die tomorrow, I figured I'd prepare myself…." She trailed off.

Jack sank back into a more relaxed position. "What makes you think we're going to die?" he asked calmly.

"We're getting _older, _Jack," Elizabeth said. "We can't just all escape like we did last time. So unless some miracle happens, we're going to be hung tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah," he said weakly.

The sensation of dying was not something Jack had thought about in a long while. First there was an initial tightness in the chest, which could have been taken for fear; then the blast of terror that came along with the realization that life was slipping away; and last, just one instant when the brain was still working, but the capacity to keep the heart beating was gone. And after that, everything turned black. Sometimes these sensations happened so quickly that the person did not know that they were dying until they were dead.

"It's hard to explain," Jack said cautiously. "You don't feel much, I guess, just blankness," he continued in dishonesty. "It's kind of a weird feeling."

Suddenly, a voice whispered gruffly in Jack's ear. "Bloody liar," it growled in an amused voice. "Shall I tell her the truth?"

Jack turned to see Barbossa's rotten grin. "Shut it," he snapped.

"Can it yerself, I think Will's dyin'," Barbossa retorted, sitting down heavily. He seemed to be right. Will froze, sat up, coughed loudly once, and lay back down. Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder. One last gasp escaped the young man, and he fell still.

"You're telling me Will felt almost nothing just then," Elizabeth said angrily, turning back to Jack.

"Yes," Jack said with a melancholy expression. "I am."

She fell into him. "What _is _this?" she whispered. "He dies, we save him, and ten years later he goes and dies again! William Turner, you are in serious trouble when I find you tomorrow!"

Jack laughed and rubbed her back. "William, I pity you," he said to the air.

"I pity whatever man as to be haunted by an angry Elizabeth for eternity," Barbossa grumbled.

Elizabeth reached over and hit him in the arm. "Don't think you won't be in trouble as well!"

"Aye, well, I pity meself too," Barbossa said mournfully. "I get _this_ for eternity…I'm screwed!"

"True that," Jack grinned.

Elizabeth looked up at him and poked him hard in the chest.

"_Ow!_ What?!" he said.

"You are my _husband! _You should be backing me up!" she scolded.

"I should be?"

"Yes!"

"Too late! Ahahaha!"

She tackled him to the ground.

"Oi!" he protested. "Barbossa! Mate! If you had any heart whatsoever you would help!"

"If ye had any sense of humor whatsoever ye would let me watch for a while," Barbossa shot back. "Elizabeth, if ye want an advantage, poke 'im in the stomach."

"_Barbossa! _You little – ahahahaha, don't do that, no, don't do that, _aaaaah! _That bloody _tickles!_ Stop!" Jack yelped, rolling on the floor in near hysterics. Barbossa's laugh echoed around the tiny prison.

Jack let out a screech, still writhing in laughter on the stone floor. "Barbossa – I – hate – you!" he gasped. "Elizabeth – GAH! CAN'T BREATHE!" He poked Elizabeth back, and she jerked away.

"A_ha_," he said with an evil grin. "Guess who else is ticklish." He started to take his revenge. By the time he was finished, two soldiers had come in and quietly taken the body. Elizabeth did not notice; she curled up in Jack's lap and fell asleep.

"I _will _get you back for that," Jack threatened Barbossa quietly. Barbossa rolled his eyes.

"I'll believe that when I see it. Took ye ten bloody years to take revenge the first time ye bloody procrastinator."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that when I tell her your weakness.

"Ye wouldn't dare."

He smiled. "Oh wouldn't I?"

A/N: I am in love with the part where Elizabeth tickles the living poo out of Jack :) hope you all enjoyed it….leave me some love! Heh.


	6. Elizabeth is reminded of games

A/N: wow. Well hi everyone, I'm finally back. Once again…so sorry about the wait. I have had so little time lately that IT ISN'T FRICKING FUNNY. I finally found some time to get on here and type, so here you go, won't make you wait any longer reading my boring little author's note.

Chapter 6

When Elizabeth awoke, still next to Jack, the first faint strains of light were creeping through the barred window. She sighed.

Somehow she felt that if she draped something over the window, the light would never come in. No one would notice that it was dawn. The soldiers outside the cell would continue in their light doze, officials, servants, and butlers would stay in their beds, and the towns people would slumber on in their houses. The world would never wake. She and Jack and the pirates would be free to roam the seas without any obstruction of the law, and they would die happy and rich as royalty. She would live to see one hundred years, she decided, and Jack to one hundred and fifteen because of their age difference.

But she could not bring herself to rise and cover the window. Not because she knew the fruitlessness of the action, but because she knew that she would soon be dying the death of some of the most noble pirates, and that it was not all in vain. Elizabeth knew that she would be remembered, that Jack would be remembered, that Barbossa, Will, and the crew would be remembered. Not only as pirates, but as good men and women as well.

This was thought of life after death, however. They were going to be hung. She was going to die, and she would never see or know any of these things. A sudden fear of the unknown gripped her, and before the light had grown too much brighter, she had shaken Jack awake.

"Mph?" he mumbled into his own shoulder. "What?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth, thought for a few seconds, and closed it again when she realized that she did not know what.

"You don't know," Jack said with a half-smirk. "Yeah, I wanted to talk to someone about who knows what, but seeing as that option had just left on a boat I resorted to talking to myself…. I'd advise you not to do that, though, they'll all think you're mad."

"They?" Elizabeth said faintly as the clicking of boots sounded in the hallway.

"The crowd etcetera," Jack said, casually giving Barbossa a poke in the side. Barbossa twitched and grunted.

"Kill me first if ye've any heart…" he grumbled sleepily. "Oh, ye're right there…I mean, take me first and let them live," he added, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, you've a lovely view on things," Jack said brightly, poking him again. Barbossa jumped once more.

"Elizabeth, poke 'im for me," he said lazily.

"We're the only two in this cell who've died before, dolt," Jack said, shoving him with a shoulder.

"Ouch," Barbossa said calmly. "I know."

"Oooohh," Jack said with realization dawning. "Sorry."

"Jack, I'm scared," Elizabeth said in a small voice.

"Don't be," Barbossa advised. "The next world's a lot less painful than this one."

Elizabeth looked at him. "Should I be excited by this?"

"O' course ye should!"

"Right then."

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the cell door opened. The soldiers that had been dozing of late were following meekly behind two of their superiors, no doubt having just had their ears chewed out.

Jack rose to his feet and then helped Barbossa up, allowing the older pirate to lean on his shoulder. Elizabeth took in a shaky breath and stood next to them. The four men entered the cell and roughly took Barbossa's hands to bind them with rope; he stumbled slightly.

"He's _hurt_, you idiots, can't you see that?" Elizabeth snarled at them.

One of the officers looked at her while a soldier twisted rope around her wrists. "I'm not blind, am I?" he said coldly.

She made an angry move toward him, but the soldier held her back. "I will make sure he's taken care of," the soldier said in a quiet voice. Elizabeth gave him a look of inexplicable gratitude.

Just then, Jack came up behind her and murmured into her ear. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

"Yeah, yeah," the second officer said in a bored voice.

The three were forced into line with Barbossa in the lead, Elizabeth next, and Jack bringing up the rear.

Everything was placed in vivid reality now; the sunlight reaching through the windows a golden wraith warming her body, the bars caging in even the short corridor, the cobblestones a road to her youth.

She felt caught up in one of the childhood games she had played with Will, only different because Will was not there laughing at her somber expression. Instead, Barbossa staggered along ahead of her and Jack strode behind, while soldiers flanked the lot of them and townspeople lined the streets, crowding along behind.

Elizabeth somehow drew comfort from the fact that Jack was nearby, and that she could feel his warm presence lending her courage. Barbossa was, as always, a pillar of strength, even though he could hardly walk. The soldier had been true to his word; the old pirate had a shoulder to lean on, even though his wrists were bound. Elizabeth could hear the people on the sidelines whispering:

"It's Hector Barbossa! I wonder what's wrong with him…."

"Isn't that Governor Swann's daughter?"

"Look, it's Captain Jack Sparrow!"

"You know, it's almost a shame to see them go…."

She looked at the person who had spoken this last, and stared them straight in the eye. She continued to do so until they looked awkwardly away.

Finally, the procession reached the center of town. There was a large platform in the middle of the square. Seven nooses hung there in a straight line, eerily still. Jack, Elizabeth, and Barbossa were led up to this platform. The kind soldier helped Barbossa up the stairs, and the other two followed.

Barbossa stood in the very center of the platform. Jack was positioned on his left, and Elizabeth to the right. All the soldiers and officers retreated save for the one helping Barbossa to stand.

Elizabeth met Jack's eyes with wild fear in her own. The panic was soothed to a manageable level by his calm, chocolate-colored eyes. As the charges were read off a long roll of parchment, she turned to the loop of rope in front of her. Was it her imagination, or was it slightly rust-colored? She took another deep, shaky breath as the charges were finished off.

"…and so they will, on this day, be hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your souls."

The hangman moved down the line, fixing the nooses around the pirates' necks. When the rope touched Elizabeth's bare skin, she panicked again. She started to breathe harder, as though her lungs were trying to meet their quota before she died. She cast another wild look around her.

Barbossa was standing as straight and aloof as his wound would allow. Jack met her eyes again. The sorrow there was so deep that Elizabeth's mouth dropped open a bit.

"Jack-?"

The hangman pulled on the lever. Three trapdoors dropped out from under three pairs of boots. Elizabeth was falling. The rope dug into her neck, and she choked on her own gasp. Barbossa's hand slid limply from the soldier's shoulder. Jack closed his eyes as he fell.

… … …

The crowd around the platform was beginning to disperse. Only a few remained behind other than soldiers and the hangman. Among these was the newly retired Commodore Norrington. He now allowed his dark hair to show in a loose ponytail. His brows wee knitted together in a frown, his eyes fixed on the bodies still hanging below the trapdoors.

"Elizabeth," he whispered sadly, watching her still, cold face. The fear was frozen in her eyes, he head turned at an awkward angle and her neck stretched out. Jack was in a similar position, his head angled toward Elizabeth, but there was no fear. An expression of complete calm was on his face, so calm it was almost eerie. But it was completely right to sooth the unbridled panic of his wife.

Norrington sighed and turned away from the scene. He could not say that he wanted to be dead; that would be too much, too drastic. However, he could not say he much wanted to be alive at the moment, either.

A/N: …you know what, I think I knew I was evil all along. But I had to end the series somehow, right…? And I'm too morbid to do the whole 'and they lived happily ever after' thing. So this is what happened. I'm sorry…-cries-

So I suppose this is it. Hopefully I'll be back soon with another story formed…so far all I have is something about Jack and vampires. Blame my recent obsession with Anne Rice's stuff and the Twilight series.

Thanks so much to everyone who read and commented on my little mini-series…you're awesome! I feel like a better writer from the first story. Bye :)

iamanundeadmonkey


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